Memory (i.e., material used for data storage for electrical and electronic devices) is formed and fabricated using various types of material, such as metals, semiconductors, silicon dioxide, and others. Conventional fabrication process techniques for semiconductor-type memories typically use deposition of thin film materials on substrates (e.g., silicon wafers), which are then patterned etched away (“etched”) using various types of etchants that are generated to create plasma. In some conventional techniques, etchants are injected, provided, or otherwise supplied into a vacuum chamber and energized using radio frequency (RF) power at certain frequency ranges to generate and sustain plasma for etching unmasked regions of deposited materials. However, as a substrate is moved from one chamber to another, such as those found coupled to a cluster tool, conventional solutions typically break (i.e., lose) vacuum, which can lead to oxygen out-diffusion and corrosion of memory material such as complex metal oxides (CMO). Conventional deposition and fabrication techniques typically rely upon developing memories that are often constrained by size and features, thus requiring more features to be formed on a smaller die size. However, conventional processes typically require larger die sizes in order to achieve greater functionality. Further, conventional techniques for etching materials can also result in damage with other surrounding or adjacent materials or layers.
In some conventional techniques, etchants that are typically used to etch away unmasked areas of memory material can cause problems such as oxygen out-diffusing. In some conventional physical etching techniques such as ion milling, unwanted redeposited particles can accumulate on the external surfaces (e.g., sides, walls) of memory, resulting in corrosion of materials such as CMO. Further, if a vacuum break occurs, ambient water and oxygen particles typically react with halogens resulting in the corrosion of CMO material.
There are continuing efforts to improve upon fabrication techniques.